


Ethical Demon Summoning

by netflixtape



Category: youtube - Fandom
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 23:41:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15874095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/netflixtape/pseuds/netflixtape
Summary: "That's all you want to be— A hero! Have you ever considered those that would miss you when you're gone?! Those who need you here?!"——————The world is overrun by corrupted constructs, demons who take the form of conjoined limbs of animals and humans, destroying the world and everything in sight. With the rising threat, a special military base has been designed to dispose of these creatures.The idea of joining this military base is that you get to be the hero to your own story, assuming that the story is indeed about you. Nathan Sharp was one of these people who wanted to save the world, wanted to throw himself into the line of fire to fight for those he loved and cared for.But sometimes the world isn't so kind to those who wish to change the predisposition it has set.





	1. An Unexpected Visitor

**Author's Note:**

> Please note: This is a story off of another account that I have that I was locked out of because a whole mess of forgetting passwords and all of that fun technical error stuff. After almost a year (or more) of being in a slump of not wanting to write, I'm back to continue this story. I hope everyone will enjoy it, considering I have updated the plot just a bit.

The ebony-haired boy watched from his perch on the fence as he gazed at the military base off in the distance, the smudges of color painting the sky like acrylics on a canvas. The lights glowing in the grand windows of the structure were warm and inviting against the somewhat harsh and biting chill of the settling winter, frost tipping the grasses of the large field before him.

Nate felt a bubble of curiosity building in his chest, his smile wide and his dimples prominent. The base was a marvel to him, a wonderful spectacle that he was in absolute love with. He pulled his canvas jacket closer to himself, his breath fogging and clouding into the air above his head, his hair messily shading his bright eyes.

The military base housed hundreds of officers, officers training with magical forces that could easily tear them to shreds, and honestly he couldn’t think of anything more terrifying or exciting. The magical forces that these people were brave enough to train with were demons, direct alters of the officers that summoned them, with wonderful abilities and the thrilling threat that the familiars— as they were known— could possibly even overpower their host.  
The trust and bond that formed between the familiar and the host was something that anyone could envy, considering they had to be close enough to trust one another and bond to become one being, sharing mind and body.

Nate’s hands fell from the lapels of his jacket to his side, hands gripping the rough wood of the fence post underneath him. He hummed softly to himself, the chill not even bothering him as he watched a clump of black that jogged along the horizon, the orange of dull sunlight fading to dark purples and blues as one of the units from the military base went for their nightly run. He could spend hours out here, gawking and fantasizing about becoming one of those officers.

It was an interest his mother didn’t support, but one she knew she couldn’t stop. She knew that she couldn’t persuade her son to believe differently about the militant forces, and all she could really do was pray that the small fifteen-year-old would grow out of this interest and pick up anything but. She knew the dangers of being a military officer— too many to even begin naming off the tops of her head— and she knew she would be giving up her only child for these forces if he continued with the idea that this was what he wanted to do with his future.

But what she didn’t understand was that Nate wanted one thing, and one thing alone— He wanted to be a hero. He wanted to be recognized for saving people, for doing something for the greater good. And what better way to do that then to go into a force that did that on a daily basis?  
He knew he would be leaving friends and family behind… But, that was a risk he would have to take.

The ebony would suddenly feel a hand on his back, making him yelp and spin around abruptly to see one of his closest friends, a brunette boy with a bright smile and intelligent eyes, staring up at him with a look of curiosity.

“Nate, it’s really cold out here. You know you can freeze to death, right?” Matt would ask him, watching as the smaller male leapt down from his perch with a soft thud against packed and frozen ground.

“Matt, I’m fine,” The ebony chuckled softly, looking up at the worry painting his friend’s face, “Don’t worry about me.”

“You were daydreaming again, weren’t you?” He would ask as Nate shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to warm his frozen fingers up.

“You can read me like a book, can’t you?” He would joke, shaking his head as he watched his feet. They would begin walking away from the border towards their small town, the soft chirping of crickets filling the air around them, stars and moonlight beginning to sparkle and paint the darkening sky above them.

“Nate… You probably should find something else to occupy your time,” Matt would start softly, knowing how frustrated Nate would get when people would contradict his dreams, “It’s dangerous and so many people would worry about you.”

Nate would look up at the older teen, tilting his head to the side, his shoes scuffing against the ground, “It might be dangerous, but I could protect the people that would worry about me. I could keep everyone safe.”

Matt sighed softly, chewing his lip. He knew his friend’s heart was in the right place— he never once doubted that— but, he knew the other could jump to some of the most horribly brash decisions no matter what these decisions may be without thinking. Nate remained silent, his mind wandering. What would it be like to be in those militant ranks? What would it be like to tamper with forces that could easily tear you to shreds? He could only imagine how terrifyingly exciting that would be, staring your demon double in the eye, trusting them to not overpower and kill you.

Matt was chattering on about countless other jobs that Nate could consider, while the smaller teen remained in another world of imagination, letting questions fill and swarm his head. He would nod to show Matt he was “listening”, but in reality, he could only see his mouth moving, hoping the other wasn’t asking him a question.

Matt could tell his friend wasn't really listening, and honestly at this point, he was just talking to fill the void of silence between himself and the younger boy. The brunette knew he would be able to apply for the military forces before Nate, seeing they were two years apart, but he didn't know how confident he was. He couldn't place in his mind being a hero much like Nate could. He couldn't see risking himself for others that he didn't really even know. As selfish as that would make him sound, it was true. He couldn't imagine sacrificing himself like that. Not to mention the idea of sharing your body with another entity scared him a considerable amount. What would happen if the being overpowered him somehow?

Would the demon go rogue? Kill everyone in site? It was a rare occurrence, sure and it normally didn't happen. The demons were usually kept on lockdown, but that wasn't always the case. He had heard horror stories of vengeful demons pulling hosts into the Invert, a strange dense mass of black ocean where all demons would come from. Once you were pulled into the Invert, it was practically impossible to be removed, and there were more nights then Matt would like to admit that he woke up screaming with a suffocating pressure weighing down on his chest and fear closing his throat.

And yet, listening to the way that Nate spoke about it, about being a hero and protecting their world, he seemed to take the horrific and dangerous aspects out of the whole equation and turn it into something to be admired. Sure, it was admirable to be brave enough to allow a demon to take over and share your body with you, but it was a choice that these people like Nate would make.

A choice he decided to stay far away from.

"Nathan, have you considered maybe going into the medial aspect of the military?" The brunette would suddenly ask, "You would still be dealing with the demons, but you would be healing those that were overpowered and burned by the demons. That way, you wouldn't exactly be in direct harm..."

"Matt, I know you're trying to change my mind," The ebony muttered, giving an exasperated sigh, "And it's not going to work. My mom has already suggested the same thing."

Matt chewed his lip, raking his fingers through his hair, "We just worry about you..."

A knot of guilt twisted in Nate's stomach as he kicked a rock, watching it bounce along the ground. He knew people worried, and he did hate making them do so. And yet, the want to be a hero would overpower this guilt that would sometime suffocate him and leave him wondering if he was a bad person for this. It wasn't a bad thing to want to protect the ones he loved... Right?

The two boys would soon bid each other goodbye for the night, leaving Nate to walk in silence as he trudged towards the front steps of his home. Left to his thoughts, he would always allow himself to drift off, something to combat the silence. Approaching the front steps of his home, he began to peel off his coat, the smells of warm dinner filling his nose while yellow lights greeted him. He gave a weak smile, shouldering the door open to be bombarded by his mother who chided him for being out in the cold so long, fretting over him getting sick from the harsh chill of winter.

He would then be shooed to the kitchen after a kiss was pressed to the side of his head where a plate of food sat waiting for him, as well as a cup of hot chocolate, a welcoming site to him. The ebony sat down, beginning to stuff his face as he watched his mother dash back and forth by the doorway in the kitchen, carrying a basket of laundry one moment, holding folded sheets and heading towards the upstairs rooms the next. Their home —thanks to the littering of war that dotted the country side and beings of mass destruction destroying homes and even complete towns— had been converted into a safe haven of sorts, almost like a bed and breakfast inn that left Nate's mother busy on the clock, cooking meals, doing laundry and cleaning.

Nate, however, spent his nights balancing studying and bouncing checkbooks for his mother, knowing he had to help out somehow. However, his home was a lively one, with a constant flood of people coming in and out of the doors, some wounded, others just needing food and shelter for a few nights. But what was the most fun was when military officers coming back from battle would stay for the night. The ebony haired teen would stay up for hours listening to them tell stories about war while gawking at their familiars who usually appeared in a smoke-like form hovering around their shoulders.

And tonight, that's exactly what would happen, a brunette teen somewhere around fifteen banging on the front door a few hours after Nate had gone to bed. The younger boy sat with his knees up, supporting a large book with his legs while in his hand he gripped a flashlight, his eyes beginning to flutter open and shut as the words swam on the page, fluttering through his mind almost drunkenly. The sounds of rapping on the thick oak door startled him, making him jolt to attention and shine the flashlight around the room, as if he suspected someone to be there.

Next, the hall light would flip on, this being shown as a slit of dim yellow light danced under his door that caused strange shadows to spring over his face and along his walls. He heard his mother's footsteps padding down the stairs, the old wood creaking and cracking as the sounds would echo through the empty home. Nate was up in an instant, his feet touching the cold floor as he pulled his long sleeved shirt close to himself, creeping towards the door. The instant his hand touched the knob, he heard his mother's voice, soft and light greeting the newcomer. Nate could hear her smile in her words and he couldn't help as he smiled himself.

As much strain as this put on her, her own home being open to strangers that she would wait on during all hours of the day and night, she was a kind woman. She was happy to offer others a warm bed and a nice meal if they needed it.

Nate would soon be padding down the stairs, sleepily rubbing his eyes as he stepped into the hall, his mother's back to him as she stood in the doorway of her home, speaking to the stranger that had stopped by.

"It's three dollars a night, full bed and food service available. I even offer medical services if they're needed." Nate peeked around his mother's shoulder in attempts to not give himself away, but still see the mysterious man or woman that had found their little home. The teen that stood on the front stoop was a bit heavy set, broad shoulders and bright eyes that could first be read as intimidating. Clearly, however, Nate could see this boy was not really a threat to himself or his mother.

The crinkles around his eyes proved he smiled a lot, and he wore a kind smile despite the blood that seeped from an unseen wound in his side. "I have the money to pay," The stranger would start, his breath coming in somewhat short gasps, making him sound winded, much like he'd ran a marathon, "And more, if needed. I just need somewhere to stay for the night and rest up a bit."

The brunette would notice Nate after a moment, taking in the curious boy's appearance with the same bit of caution as Nate had with himself. With messy ebony hair and somewhat dark circles under his eyes, the stranger could tell that this boy was more then met the eye. He could see the fighting spirit that burned in his obsidian eyes, and the way he held himself, while giving off a slight air of caution, proved he knew how to handle himself.

"I'm Hunter Hughes," The brunette would introduce to both mother and son with a slight tip of his head, "Training officer."

"It's very nice to meet you, Hunter," Nate's mother cooed with a soft smile, chuckling because she knew her son was behind her. He always had to have his nose in everyone's business, and it seemed his curiosity could never be quenched. She would gesture behind her, resting a hand on Nate's shoulder to bring him into the light, "This is my only son, Nathan Smith."

"Nate's fine," The ebony rushed out quickly, glancing up at his mom before returning his gaze to Hunter, "Uh, I can help you into the living room... Maybe take a look at your injuries."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." And with that, Nate was stepping forward, tossing Hunter's arm over his shoulder to limp him into the living room. Once laying him on the couch, Nate would disappear to grab a medical kit, returning moments later.

"How did you get hurt?" Nate would ask, a bit of excitement in his words as he crouched in front of the other, beginning to push up the tan training uniform shirt the other teen wore after unclasping the leather straps attached to the uniform.

"Whoa, you're excited, aren't you?" Hunter joked softly, shaking his head and drawing in a hissing breath from clenched teeth as the fabric of the shirt rubbed up against his wound.

"Sorry," Nate would quickly apologize, wincing at the sight of the large slashed wound in his side, "Jesus..."

"It's bad, huh?" The brunette chuckled weakly, "Myself and another officer were ambushed when we were training. A couple of corrupted constructs decided to attack us."

"Corrupted constructs?" The younger teen asked, beginning to thread medical thread on the suture needle he held, fascinated by what Hunter had to say.

"Yeah. They're basically demons that are pulled from the inverse, jumbled up pieces of demons and hosts that are usually just kinda thrown together into a weird mess of claws and teeth. They're a bit of a problem considering they can spawn from any water source that just happens to be laying around." Hunter chuckled, watching as Nate began to sew his wound closed after disinfecting and cleaning it, his hands steady, "You seem pretty interested in this stuff."

"Yeah, uh," The ebony shyly muttered, keeping his eyes on the task at hand, "I actually want to become a military officer when I turn eighteen. My mom doesn't exactly agree with it."

"I can understand why," Hunter winced as he raked a hand through his hair, subtile bursts of pain stabbing into his side, "It's not all glamor and glory."

"I know... But, I want to do something good for other people!" Nate would try to argue, his cheeks beginning to turn pink as he grew a bit flustered, "I wanna be-"

"A hero, right?" Hunter would question, his voice soft. There was a moment of silence between the two teens before Nate slowly nodded his head. This made Hunter offer a sad smile, one that held pity and sympathy, "I understand that. Many people join with the idea of becoming a hero, including myself. Sadly, that's not what always happens."

Nate was silent as he finished cleaning the wound, not minding the crimson that stained his hands as he pressed a gauze pad to the stitching, taping it down with a roll of medical tape always kept on hand in the somewhat large first aid kit. He was used to being the one that patched up smaller wounds like this while his mother handled the more life threatening injuries, and he'd learned rather decently how to take care of injuries like this.

Hunter felt the questions and slight bitterness behind the ebony's silence, this causing him to raise an eyebrow, "You're not gonna listen to me, are you?"

"If my mother can't convince me to not join the military, what makes you think a stranger will?" The ebony would ask, a tone of sass in his words as his sharp eyes snapped up to meet the larger teen's.

This made Hunter laugh.

"Kid, you're either really determined, or absolutely braindead... And I like it."


	2. It begins

“Nathan Smith, you’re absolutely crazy!” Matt huffed, arms crossed as he stared his friend down.

“Look, if you can apply for a healer, I can join, too!” Nate stood on Matt’s doorstep years after his encounter with Hunter, clutching his recruitment papers. He was absolutely ecstatic and terrified, his dark eyes glimmering brightly. 

“You can’t always be the hero,” The brunette muttered, “And if that’s why you’re joining, because you think this is going to be fun and games, that you’re going to get to save the world and be recognized for it, you might as well turn those papers back in and tell them forget it.”

The ebony seemed a bit shocked at Matt’s words. Never had his friend been so harsh with him. “Well what bit you on the ass?” He muttered letting his gaze flicker to his boots. He was already in uniform, the gray one piece jumpsuit clinging to him. Thick fabric, strong and rather itchy, was used on every officer’s uniforms, no matter what ranking, in attempts to help battle the clingy effects of magic from damaging the skin of the officer using it.

“Nathan,” Matt rested his hands on Nate’s shoulders, his eyes softening with sympathy for his best friend, “I understand you’re excited. You’ve always wanted to be the hero of your own story, to help those who need you. I understand that, and honestly that’s very noble of you. However, the military is different. The threat those officers face on a daily basis isn’t some fairy tale. That’s something that’s truly scary and can kill you if you’re not careful.”

The silence that settled between them was that of consideration. Matt hoped that Nate was re-thinking his choice, would finally come to his senses and realize he didn’t have much of a chance making it out alive and that he needed to pick another line of work. However, the ebony haired boy would not be detoured. “Matt, I understand you’re worried about me, and I appreciate it. But honestly? I can handle myself.”

The larger teen gave a small sigh of defeat, “You really are crazy, aren’t you?”

“Mad as the Hatter,” Nate responded with a smile. This made Matt smile as well, despite it being weak.

“The shuttle to pick up the recruits should be coming soon. Have you told your mother yet?” 

“No, but I’m getting ready to.”

“She’s going to be upset, you know.” 

This made Nate’s smile fall, “Yeah… I realize this. But, she needs to know.”

“You didn’t tell her you were signing up, did you?” Matt raised an eyebrow, but he already knew the answer to this question.

“Okay, listen—“

“Nathan Smith!”

“She would never allow it!” Nate whined, “Neither of you would if I had told you!”

“For good reason! We worry! And you’re going to be the death of both of us one day if you keep doing stuff like this to us.”

Nate rolled his eyes, “Look, I’ll be on the shuttle, okay? See you then.” Before Matt could even protest, the smaller teen was gone, jogging down the road towards his childhood home.

His mother was busy cooking up a storm, while three other officers were being housed for on sight injuries, one with fissure burns dancing up his arms and over his back, one with claw marks in his stomach, and the third with minor head trauma.

Nate snuck up behind his mother and hugged her, smiling softly, “Hey, mom.”

The woman smiled, busy kneading bread dough, the smell of yeast and orange flooding the kitchen. “You’re late, young man. Where were you?”

“Talking to Matt. I had to tell him something that I have to tell you.”

She seemed a bit confused, frowning a bit as she turned to face him, the dough on the counter momentarily forgotten as her son’s words snagged her interest. “Oh? And what’s that?” She was already eyeing his uniform, and before he said anything, she already knew what he was going to say.

Nate hesitated. Suddenly, a crashing of guilt hit him. He had promised his mother he would pick a different profession a few weeks after Hunter had stayed with them, earning a thankful smile and a tight hug from her, as well as a softly whispered, ‘Thank you.’ “Promise not to get mad?”

The woman rested her hands on her hips, “What did you do?”

Nate sighed, reaching for his back pocket, holding out the neatly folded papers out to her. She didn’t take them, already knowing what those papers were. “You went behind my back and signed up for recruitment.” This would be a statement, her voice terse, harsh even.

“Mom—“

“Nathan, why? Why do you want to do this to me? To yourself?”

“Because, mom, I wanna help!”

“There’s so much you can do to help not involving throwing yourself into the line of fire like this!” She cried, “I lost your father to the military, I can’t loose you as well!”

Nate was taken back. He’d never heard what had happened to his father. All he knew about the man was that his mother had loved him very much. “He… What?”

“Your father, he died thanks to the military. He wanted to help as well,” She sighed, gently straightening Nate’s uniform, “You remind me so much of him. He… He’d be proud of you.” The ebony haired teen blinked, trying to take this information in.

“You’ve never told me this,” He stated softly.

“There’s a reason, Nathan. I know you. That would drive you even more to continue with wanting into the military. You’d want to make him proud, to fill his shoes and try to be like him,” The smaller woman looked up at her only child, worry and exhaustion in her eyes, “He was such a brave man. I see him in you all the time.”

“Mom—“ Right as he spoke, the shuttle outside pulled up, the engine rumbling loudly, slicing through the warm summer night, smothering out the sounds of cricket song.

“Go on,” She smiled weakly, but Nate could see the tears in her eyes, “You’re going to be late, and you don’t want them mad at you the very first day, do you?”

“Mom,” Nate repeated, hugging her tightly, “I promise I’ll come home, okay? I’ll be here for Christmas, just like I am every year. I’ll even help you cook and set the table.”

“Is Matthew going with you?” She asked as she held her son tightly, her cheek resting against his shoulder. 

Nate nodded, “Yeah. He was recruited as a healer.”

“Take care of him. You two need each other,” She mumbled, “I hope he won’t be seeing you in his infirmary.”

“I’ll be okay, mom.” He promised, pulling away. She sighed, kissing her son’s forehead. 

“Off you go then,” She muttered, waving him to the door, watching as the other three injured military officers hobbled out the door, “Be careful. Have fun.”

It took a moment of hesitation, but soon, Nate was making his way out the door with his thick canvas bag of belongings thrown over his shoulder. Leaving this place, his home, brought along a wave of mixed emotions.

The first and foremost was excitement. Fulfilling a life long dream he’d had was exhilarating. He was doing something for the greater good, helping the town he’d grown up in as well as neighboring towns he’d never even been to.

The second would be fear, an impending sense of ‘what if’ that left his heart in his throat and his stomach a static ball of anxiety. What if he couldn't keep his promise to his mother? What if she would be left alone? She already lost his father...

After settling in a window seat, he watched as the shuttle silently skimmed away from the small three story home, the glowing and warm lights slowly becoming a smudge behind them. The other recruits in the shuttle softly chattered, and it wasn't long before Matt was flopping down next to Nate with a small smile. "How'd your mom take the news?" He asked softly. 

"She... She told me my dad was actually in the military and that's how she lost him," The ebony haired boy informed his friend. "I never knew that honestly."

"Oh..." Matt sighed, gently rubbing his friend's back, "I'm sorry about that."

"Thanks," He smiled weakly, "I won't let anything happen to me, though. I promised her."

"Nathan, as bold as that is, there's no way you can hold yourself to that."

"I have to try."

Matt sighed and nodded, "Wake me up when we arrive, alright?" Nate nodded, smiling a bit as Matt rested his head on his shoulder and soon fell asleep, snoring and drooling softly. Nate rested his cheek against the cool glass window of the shuttle, watching as his breath bloomed in a cloud of condensation, droplets turning into tiny diamond orbs that shimmered in the rising moon light. 

And so it begins...


End file.
